Ouch. That one hurt. In a game where most of us at least expected a shootout till the end, the Arizona Cardinals were pounded 45-14 on Saturday. The game started off perfect for the Cardinals, when Tim Hightower ran the first play of the game 70 yards to stun the Saints crowd and put the Cardinals up 7-0. Then the fun happened.
After the Saints tied the game 7-7, Kurt Warner hit Jerheme Urban in stride, who was hacked by Randall Gay to force the fumble and suck any momentum out of the Cardinals offense at that point. The Saints added two more scores and the Cardinals eventually saw them selves in a 21-7 hole.
Darren Sharper would've had his 10th interception of the year, but a blow to Kurt Warner's face recalled the turnover. The Cardinals drove 80 yards before Beanie Wells ran in a 4 yard touchdown. That would be the closest the Cardinals would ever get.
Kurt Warner was knocked out of the game temporary after throwing a pick to Will Smith and injuring his chest on a blind slide hit.
Reggie Bush played one of the best games of his career, scoring on a 46 yard touchdown scamper and also returning a punt 83 yards in the 3rd quarter. That was the last score of the game and it would also propel the Saints into the NFC Championship game.
The only Cardinals that had remotely close good games were the running backs. Tim Hightower is COTW in my book, and Wells touchdown was big at the time. LaRod Stephens-Howling was productive with kick returns.
I don't want to give props to anyone on defense. They couldn't force a turnover or a sack and the score would've ballooned even larger had the Cardinals actually been in the game.
Personally I want to congratulate the Saints. They were the better team today and found ways to exploit the Cardinals' weaknesses. Losing Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Antrel Rollecertainly hurt, but that's no excuse for the lack of production on offense. The Cardinals can now enter offseason mode and so will we here at ROTB. Good luck to the Saints and represent the NFC well in the Super Bowl.
PS. I hate Jerheme Urban.